I Will Save You
by RaphieApple
Summary: In an alternate reality where all the mutants are human, Leonardo has been told his whole life by Master Splinter that his brothers were being raised by the enemy and he had to save them. However, when he finally meets them, they don't want to be saved. Leonardo must find a way to fulfill his promise that he would protect his family.
1. The Mission Begins

**This idea has been in my head for ice ages and I just now got inspired to write it. Human!AU where Leonardo has been raised by Splinter, Raphael and Karai by Shredder, Donatello by Baxter Stockman, and Michelangelo by the Kraang. Leonardo has been told all his life that he had to find his brothers and save them, but they don't want to be saved.**

 **I do not own TMNT, otherwise Casey Jones would have never happened. Also, comments make my day and criticism is welcome.**

* * *

"Karai, Raphael!" Shredder's sharp voice rang through the room, stopping both of them in their tracks as they strolled into his throne room. Still casting glares at each other out of the corner of their eyes, they knelt in before him and ducked their heads submissively.

"It was his fault, Father!" Karai protested immediately, pointing an accusing finger at the boy next to her. "If it weren't for his temper, we wouldn't have been seen by those Purple Dragons!"

"My fault?!" Raphael started to rise, hands clenched in fists as his electric green eyes burned. "That's the thanks I get for defending your honor? Those creeps were – were – _verbally undressing_ you!"

"I can defend my own honor, thanks. And all they were doing was saying I'm hot." Karai flicked her bangs away from her face. "Which is more than you can say, anyway." Reaching over to him, she yanked up his left sleeve, the only sleeve he had. It revealed a scaly green arm. "You wouldn't be too bad except for this deformed arm of yours."

A low growl escaped Raphael's throat. "Just because it looks weird doesn't mean I can't ram it SO FAR-"

Shredder stamped his foot. The floor shook, stopping both of them in their tracks. "Silence, both of you! I have no time for your quarrels or your failures. Get out there again _now!"_

"Yes, Father," the two of them chorused, bowing low in front of him before scuttling along side-by-side as if they had never argued.

Their petty fights were common, but Karai sensed she had deeply injured her bad-tempered brother. He had pulled his sole sleeve over his scaly arm and refused to look at her as they exited Shredder's tower.

Hating herself for what she was about to say, Karai cleared her throat. "Look, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but we can't risk our mission for a tangle with a bunch of stupid street punks. And you don't look that terrible, if it means anything to you."

Raphael glanced over at her sullenly. Karai had only been a year old when he was born, but she remembered doubting they were actually siblings once they got older. While she had black hair, Raphael's was fiery red, and his green eyes looked nothing like her dark ones. Regardless of whether or not they were actually related, he was her little brother through and through.

"Hmph. You really think I'm so shallow that I would care what I look like?" he grumbled, folding his arms.

"You do wear that stupid sleeve. If you don't want to look so suspicious, wear one on your other arm – or are you trying to show off your muscles?" she badgered him, earning herself a rough punch in the arm.

"Let's just get on with the mission, alright?" he groaned, rolling his eyes. "We gotta find Hamato Yoshi and bring him back to Father."

Karai relented and nodded. "Right. Let's start where we left off. And roll your sleeve up – you might as well show off your arm. It's got to be the only one in the world anyway."

* * *

In an old warehouse not too far away from where the Oroku siblings were slipping through the shadows, Michelangelo skateboarded recklessly through the concrete hallways. To help with balance, his arms were stretched to both sides of him –a pale, freckled arm and a green, scaled one. He whooped as he whizzed past the robots parading through the halls.

"Look out, Kraang! You too, Kraang! And you! Sorry!" he called over his shoulder as a pink, squirming alien hissed at him as he passed.

" _Michelangelo!_ " a female human voice bellowed through the halls. Momentarily paralyzed with fear, the boy failed to turn the next corner and rolled headfirst into the wall.

A young girl with black and purple hair strolled up to the tangled mess that was Michelangelo and peered at him over the frames of her rhinestone-studded glasses. "Seriously? This is the most you can amount to? You're not only skateboarding indoors, but you can't even do it without running into a wall?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Michelangelo struggled to his feet. "Sorry, Mom – I mean, Kraang Subprime," he corrected himself, only somewhat repentantly. She folded her arms and glared up at him.

"Three things. One, I'm not your mother. Two, I'm actually male; I just have to take this stupid female form for work purposes. Three, I have to go third wheel on April and Casey's date, which means you're in charge of the base until I get back. Screw up and I take another scale off your arm."

Michelangelo flinched and rubbed his deformed arm. Several scales were already missing from it due to previous times he disobeyed, messed up, or been too annoying. They would grow back eventually, but the extraction process was quite painful. "Okay, okay." He scowled for a moment before his infectious smile returned. "Hey, can't you leave Kraang in charge this time and let me come along on your date third-wheeling? It would be good practice for me! I could work on my stealth training by staying in the shadows and not getting caught!" He ruffled his wavy blond hair and struck a pose, his blue eyes twinkling. "Just call me Doctor Stealth-instein!"

Kraang Subprime slapped her forehead. "Ugh. Fine, whatever." She collared a nearby robot. "Kraang, you're in charge. Michelangelo, with me – but get your jacket first to cover up that hideous arm of yours."

"No problem-o!" Michelangelo tugged off a neon orange jacket that was tied around his waist and slipped it on. "Done!"

Taking a deep breath, Kraang Subprime adopted a teacher's patronizing voice. "Think, Michelangelo – just don't injure yourself in the process. If you're going on a stealth mission, what's wrong with that jacket?"

A puzzled expression crossed his freckled face. "Uhhh… um… hrm… Oh! I know! The sleeves are too long!" He waved his arms, letting the extra fabric covering his hands flap around.

"No, it's too bright! It's brighter than you are – although practically everything is. There's no way to hide in the shadows if you're wearing a jacket the color of a tangerine! Just – just get a black jacket and follow me, I'll be at the front door." Kraang Subprime let out a sigh of defeat. Michelangelo flashed her a thumbs-up and a smile.

"Got it!"

* * *

"Donatello, are those chemicals ready yet?" Baxter Stockman drummed his fingers anxiously on the lab table.

"Just about, Dad. One second… here we are!" His son presented him with a vial filled with an orange liquid, a gap-toothed smile on his face. The two of them crowded around a beaker bubbling over with some clear fluid.

"If this doesn't explode when we mix them, it'll be safe and will definitely work this time!" Baxter declared, sniggering. "We are geniuses, Donatello! Safety glasses?"

"Check!" The black-haired boy pulled the goggles off of his head and over his eyes. Baxter did the same, gloved hands trembling as he tipped the vial.

Donatello lowered his voice to an excited whisper. "If this works, will I finally be able to go outside without wearing long sleeves? It's way too hot for that."

"Yes, and you fulfill your part of the deal by cutting off that stupid braided long hair of yours," Baxter grumbled. Hesitantly, he poured the orange liquid into the bubbling clear fluid.

For a moment, they could have heard a pin drop. The bubbling ceased as everything turned a vibrant shade of magenta. Both Baxter and Donatello took a frightened step backwards.

"Is it safe?" Donatello asked in a hushed whisper, clinging to his father's arm like it was a lifeline. Baxter shook him off.

"I think s-"

His sentence was abruptly cut off by a massive popping sound, and smoke filled the room for just a moment. It disappeared, leaving both father and son in the fetal position on the floor.

"And that's why you don't think," Donatello quipped light-heartedly. Baxter pulled himself to his feet, using the lab table as a crutch, and examined the beaker. The glass wasn't damaged, but all the liquid inside it had vaporized.

"Not again!" the man whined, ripping his safety goggles off and tossing them on the floor. "Your hair lives for now, boy." He stalked off, leaving his son to clean up the mess they had made.

"Ah, well," Donatello sighed, amber eyes surveying the lab table. He pulled up the left sleeve of his white lab coat to look at his scaly green arm. "Guess I'm stuck with you for a little while longer."

* * *

In the training room in their home in the sewers, Leonardo sat in a meditative position across from his teacher.

 _Clear your mind,_ Splinter had always insisted. _Think of nothing._

Yet he couldn't. Instead, his rebel mind wandered. _This is stupid. I shouldn't be sitting here. I should be training! I should be searching the streets of New York for my brothers! Sensei tells me that I have to find my brothers and save them, but he'll barely let me outside! How am I supposed to help them if all I do is sit here and think of nothing?_

A sharp pain over his head jarred him into reality, and he let out a small wail of pain. "Sensei?!"

Scowling, Splinter looked down at him, cane in hand. Tall and imposing, he was as wise as he was strong. It was only his lame right foot that held him back – the disability that chained him, one that he had earned on the field of battle against his enemy Oroku Saki. "You are distracted, my son. I have told you before. You must clear your mind."

Leonardo struggled to his feet, blue eyes troubled. "Sensei, I don't mean to question your judgment, but shouldn't I be out there, looking for my brothers? I don't know how I'd find them because I've never seen them before, not even in pictures, but searching blindly has to be more useful than sitting here and thinking of nothing."

Splinter let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You will know your brothers because they will have the same arm as you. But we have had this discussion before, Leonardo. You are not yet ready to face the dangers that this quest will present. There is time to train and prepare."

"I've been training and preparing my whole life! Fifteen years, Sensei! I know I've asked this before, but please, please let me try to find them. You've told me that I have to help them ever since I was a child, so please just let me." Leonardo dropped to his knees and bowed his head pleadingly, fists clenched tightly.

Splinter turned and strode a few steps away, thinking. After a moment of consideration, he posed another question. "Why do you want to go so badly?"

 _Well, for one I'm sick of being stuck down here in the sewers of all places with nothing to do but train, but that's not the main reason._ Leonardo took a deep breath. "I want to help them. You said you don't know what happened to my brothers and that you just knew that they were in trouble. I might not know them, but they're my brothers, and I want to help them. I want to know them. I want to know my family."

Splinter knelt down in front of his son, searching his clear sapphire blue eyes. "…Yes… Yes, my son, Leonardo. I believe you are ready. Tonight, under the cover of darkness, you may go out into the city. My own injuries prevent me from leaving these sewers, not to mention Oroku Saki's men are searching for me everywhere… You must be cautious, my son. I trust you to take care of yourself. Please do not break my trust."

"I won't, Sensei." Leonardo hid his excitement and relief under a calm mask. A ninja was always in control, especially of himself.

That night, as Leonardo climbed out of the sewers and breathed in the fresh, crisp night air, he made a vow. _My brothers… Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo… I will find you, wherever you are, and I will save you._


	2. Meet the Foot

**Heyyyy, two chapters in one day! I'm on a roll!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, don't sue me.**

* * *

Pulling a black hoodie over his head and flipping the hood up, Donatello snuck past the open lab door and towards the window. He refused to believe that Baxter Stockman was ashamed of his son's deformed arm, but his father would hardly ever let him outside, even if the arm was covered.

Baxter wouldn't tell Donatello anything – where he came from (Donatello clearly wasn't Baxter's biological child, as they were completely different races), why it was so important to 'fix' his deformed arm, why he was rarely allowed outside – so in return, Donatello told his father nothing. They got along well enough, but when it came down to it, good kids with overprotective parents were just the ones who were the best at lying. It was beyond Baxter's wildest dream that his dear clever son would actually have a _friend._ Since he was schooled at home, there were no opportunities for him to meet other people, but Donatello had somehow found himself a companion.

Her name was April O'Neil, and she was the light of Donatello's world and the apple of his eye. Naturally, she hadn't a clue how important she was to him, but that was just fine with him. When she asked him if he'd like to go to the movies with her and her friends Casey and Irma, she had no idea that he went home and daydreamed about her for hours before getting an upset stomach from nervousness.

It wasn't until he met the three outside the movie theater that he realized he was probably invited along to be with Irma, so she would have a 'date' and wouldn't feel so left out. Whether or not April wanted it, Casey always third wheeled everyone.

"Hi, Donnie!" April greeted him with a smile and a wave, and a wave of giddiness washed over him.

"H-Hello, April…" Donatello stammered. The giddiness evaporated as soon as he saw the punk loitering nearby, leaning against a trashy bike. "…And Casey…"

"Heya, Don." Casey smirked. "What's with the sweatshirt? It's like ninety degrees out here. Aren't ya hot?" Before Donatello could answer, the hockey player continued. "Never mind, you can't be as hot as me." He sent a cheeky grin in April's direction, baring his nearly toothless mouth. Many years of hockey and fist fights had rid Casey of many of his front teeth.

Irma ambled up, letting out a groan as she caught Casey's last sentence. "You're disgusting, Jones. Remind me why I'm here again?"

She met Donatello's eyes for just a moment. Although they rarely spoke, he felt a connection with her, a connection forged by mutual hatred for Casey Jones.

Oblivious to the growing tension, April headed into the movie theater. "Come on guys, it's going to start soon. Let's get our tickets."

As they headed inside, Donatello felt a weird feeling arise in his stomach, and not the usual oddness he experienced. Usually when he was sick to his stomach it was due to disgust from Casey or nervousness from being around April, but this was different. It was like someone was watching them.

He hovered outside for a long moment after the other three had gone inside, glancing around for any shady characters. No one was around except for some blond kid a little younger than Donatello skateboarding down the middle of the road. A large pink bubble rapidly inflated around his lips before popping with a loud snap.

The kid swerved onto the sidewalk and skidded to a stop in front of the movie theater, nearly running over Donatello in the process.

"Hey! Watch it!" Donatello snapped. The kid didn't even look over his shoulder, instead merely waving an apologetic hand as he flipped his skateboard up and caught it.

"Sorry!" He blew another bubble and popped it before stepping inside.

Following him into the building, Donatello blew out a long breath as the cool movie theater air washed over his heavily clothed body. Now it was just his temper heating him up. "No gum in the theater! It's not allowed!"

The skateboard kid stopped and finally glanced over his shoulder. Donatello took a step back as he was met with the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Man, you're a stickler for the rules, ain'tcha?" he laughed, spitting his gum into his palm. "If you hate it so much, you can toss it out."

Before Donatello could complain about personal space, the kid was up in his face and sticking the gum on the end of his nose.

"Thanks, trash can! See ya 'round!" And the kid had sauntered off, skateboard over his shoulder.

Donatello walked into the movie theater and sat down in between April and Irma, ticket stub crumpled in his hand and eyelid twitching. Irma and Casey were too busy arguing over the other two to notice, but April cast Donatello a concerned glance.

"What held you?" she asked quietly. He shrugged, relaxing ever so slightly.

"Some stupid kid with gum and a skateboard, that's all."

Neither of them noticed, but Irma, on Donatello's other side, stiffened. _He's going to get it when I get home,_ she promised herself.

* * *

Nothing happened on Leonardo's first night out in the city, nor did he expect anything to. Instead, he spent his time creating a mental map of the lay of the land. There were thousands of reasons he would need to know exactly where everything was – for example, if he found one of his brothers and they had to escape from the enemy.

Splinter had told him many times about what enemies he would have on the surface. The most obvious was the Shredder, Splinter's old war partner. Leonardo had memorized the story of how the Shredder burned Splinter's home and killed his wife and daughter. Shredder had hundreds of ninja called the Foot Clan under his command.

A less deadly threat was the Purple Dragons, a street gang led by a man named Hun. Splinter had expressly forbidden Leonardo from having any contact with the Purple Dragons, but they both knew that a conflict would be inevitable. Leonardo couldn't help but entertain the idea that perhaps the Purple Dragons had captured one of his brothers.

The final main threat Splinter had mentioned was the Kraang. Splinter was unable to say exactly what the Kraang were. All he knew is that they were dangerous. However, Leonardo figured that they would find him before he found them.

Excitement on the surface hit Leonardo before he was ready for it.

He was running along the rooftops, still memorizing the locations of all the shops and alleys he could find, when he heard a scream and a few gunshots. Naturally, the only thing to do was to go and investigate.

Crawling over to the edge of a building that overshadowed the ally, Leonardo carefully peered down.

A group of three men stood there, guns in hands, tensed for an attack. Leonardo spotted purple dragon tattoos on each of them and put two and two together. _These must be the Purple Dragons… They look scared. I wonder why?_

A whizzing sound cut through the air like a knife, and a throwing star embedded itself in the biggest Dragon's arm. _N_ _injas? Like me? Are the attackers in the Foot Clan?_ Leonardo barely had time to think as the man let out a scream of pain and ripped the weapon out. The other two panicked and ran for the street, firing blindly behind them and nearly hitting their comrade. Before they could make it to the street, two shadows stepped in between them and their destination. Leonardo couldn't make out their faces from his vantage point, but he could see the glint of the moon on a blade and a pair of sais.

The blade snapped up, pointing at the skinniest Dragon. The man's tattooed arms were wrapped tightly around a silvery suitcase.

"Drop it!" the owner of the blade commanded. "Drop it and you live."

Without a second thought, the skinny Dragon let the suitcase fall to the ground with a dull thud. In sync, the two shadowy figures stepped to the side, and moments later the three Purple Dragons had fled.

In full stealth mode, Leonardo dropped down to a fire escape and shinnied his way down so he could hear the two figures better.

The one with the sais remained in the shadows, but by their silhouette, Leonardo assumed it was a male. The figure with the blade, however, stepped boldly into the moonlight, and Leonardo's breath caught in his throat.

It was a girl, dressed from head to toe in black and silver armor. She removed a dark mask from her face, revealing smirking red lips as she crouched by the suitcase.

"I wonder what this is…" she mused, poking it with one manicured finger. Her partner dragged it into the shadows and slung it over his shoulder.

"Doesn't matter. Let's take it back home and see if Father can use it for anything, and then get back to it."

"What's _it?_ " Leonardo muttered to himself, straining his eyes to catch a glimpse of the girl's companion. Not that he was tired of looking at her! She was easy on the eyes… very easy… Leonardo's blue eyes kept drifting back to her.

"Hey, Karai?" The boy spoke again, but Leonardo didn't look at him. _Karai… so that's her name… It's beautiful… just like her…_

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we take care of our little spy first?"

Leonardo came to his senses right before he took a heavy kick to the chest, a kick that sent him flying through the air until he hit the gravel of the alley hard. Pain shot through him like a thousand needles, only to be intensified by a heavy foot pressing down on his chest.

The stars faded so he could see the two figures leering down at him – Karai and the redheaded boy with the sais in his belt and suitcase in his arms. The redhead dug his foot harder into Leonardo's ribcage, teeth bared in a sort of feral grin.

"Well, well… What do we have here?"


	3. New Friends and Old Enemies

**Writing skateboarder Mikey is way too fun. Once again, reviews are obsessed over. Also, I meant to mention this in the first chapter, but in case you haven't figured it out, this is in the 2012 cartoon universe.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT.**

* * *

Leonardo stared up at his two captors, heart racing. _I'm a trained ninja… all I have to do is grab his foot and swing him… But first, let's see if I can get them to answer some questions while they think they have the upper hand._

"Who are you?" Karai demanded.

"And what are you doing hanging out in an alleyway?" the redhead added. He appeared to be Leonardo's age, and the girl about a year older. The boy's eyes were radioactive-chemical green while Karai's were dark, but they shared the same smirk that made clear their relationship as siblings.

Leonardo adopted a scared, stammering tone. "M-My name's Leo. I live in that apartment right there." He pointed a shaking finger towards the building with the fire escape he came down. "I heard shouting and gunshots so I came out to look."

The redhead's foot shifted up so the boot was pressing down at Leonardo's throat, not enough to strangle him but enough to make him squirm. "How stupid do you think we are?" he asked, a scowl on his face. "You have a pair of damn katanas on your back; don't pretend you're just a civilian. Also, for future reference, that's not an apartment complex, and we saw you come down from the roof. You think you're good, don't you? We'll see about that. Now tell the truth."

Leonardo mentally cursed. Yeah, he forgot about his weapons… But at least he found yet another reason why knowing the city like the back of his hand would be useful – crafting believable stories. He was panicking too much to think of a good excuse, so he just grabbed the redhead by the foot and swung him off with ease.

"Raph!" Karai yelled as her companion was flung against the brick building wall. Leonardo rolled a safe distance away from both of them, flinging a few shuriken at Karai to keep her from following him. She dodged them easily before rushing over to the redhead's side.

 _Raph?_ Leonardo echoed the name in his head as he melted into the shadows. He wasn't going to fight them if he could get away with it, but he also wanted to learn more. _As in… a nickname for Raphael? Nah, couldn't be… I'm not so lucky that I find my brother one day after I start looking. Besides, those two are obviously siblings, even if they don't look the same, and there's gotta be more than one Raphael in the city. It's unfortunate it's too dark to see his arm…_

Karai was trying to pull Raph to his feet, but he shoved her away and regained his balance on his own.

"Where is that rat?!" He cast around angrily, spinning his sais in his hands.

"Still here, I'm guessing." Karai peered into the darkness, and Leonardo quickly ducked behind a conveniently placed dumpster. "He's not too shabby, although he wouldn't have to be very good to take you down. Anybody could."

A puppyish growl rumbled in Raph's throat. "Oh, he hasn't taken me down yet. Show yourself, you coward!"

As they headed into the darkness, searching about, Leonardo knew he had to get away. He had never sparred with anyone except for his sensei, and he had absolutely no experience fighting two at the same time – not to mention that the movements of these two were absolutely fluid and synchronized. They would probably be a deadly tag team.

Leonardo kept his eyes on the two as he shuffled silently towards the fire escape. He would have to count on the fact that he was more agile than them.

Raph was coming close to the dumpster Leonardo was ducking behind, so the brunette put his plan into action. Sprinting past the duo, he flipped up to the fire escape and started climbing as if his life depended on it. He expected to hear a shout from the ground, but there was only silence.

When he reached the top of the building, he was welcomed by Karai and Raph, both casually leaning against the AC units on the rooftop, weapons out.

"Look at him. He thinks he's fast," Raph snorted.

"Still not bad for a newbie ninja in the city," Karai interceded on Leonardo's behalf. "So, Leo – if that is your real name, anyway. What are you doing here? This is our city, so you're going to join us or drop your whole ninja fantasy."

"And there's no option for being against us. We're not accepting rivals. You'd never make it off this building," Raph added, grinning.

Leonardo said nothing. They were part of the Foot Clan for sure, and he couldn't let them know he had a connection with Splinter. Instead, he pulled his duel katanas off his back, holding them at the ready. Both Karai and Raph raised their eyebrows.

"Seriously?" The redhead watched him with lazy astonishment. "Wow."

There was no warning before their attack. As he was unable to even see them coming, it was only Leonardo's reflexes that saved him from Raph's stabbing sais and Karai's slashing blade. Before he could launch a counterattack, Karai had produced a small white ball and stabbed it on a spike on her armor. A cloud of white powder erupted, and she waved it into Leonardo's eyes.

He sucked in a huge breath, unintentionally inhaling the substance. _I can't see! Blinding powder! And…_ He wasn't awake long enough to feel himself hit the ground.

* * *

When the movie ended and the credits rolled, Donatello, April, Casey, and Irma walked out. April and Casey were chattering excitedly about their favorite parts of the movie, while Donatello and Irma trailed behind. Out of the corner of his eye, Donatello saw the blond kid with the skateboard exit the movie theater as well, putting another stick of gum in his mouth. Throwing caution to the wind, Donatello stormed over to him.

"What are you doing now?" he snapped. Baffled, the kid stared at him.

"…Have we met?"

"Have we met?!" Donatello bellowed, his face red with temper. He didn't notice April, Casey, and Irma staring at him open-mouthed. "You stuck gum on my nose not two hours ago! _Gum!_ "

"Oh. I did? I mean, oh, I did!" He smiled cheekily, blowing another bubble and sticking his left hand forward. "Sorry. I'm Mike."

Donatello stared at the hand as if it were a viper. A wrist guard covered most of it and it was probably just his imagination, but what little of his arm was uncovered seemed to take on a greenish tint. _Nah, couldn't be._ "Nice to meet you, _Mike,_ " he hissed. "I'm Don, you're probably a delinquent, and why am I still talking to you?"

Mike shrugged expressively, baby blue eyes twinkling. "Beats me! So how'd you like the movie?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I really liked it! I've never seen one before, you know?"

"Don," Irma called from back with the group, interrupting the skateboarder. Donatello turned around and started walking back over, and for a second he thought he caught her glaring at Mike.

"Sorry, guys," he muttered when he got back to the group. Casey raised both eyebrows.

"Wow, the brainiac has a temper."

"Yeah, I do. You want to see it up close and personal?" Before Donatello could carry out his threat on the hockey player, Mike was skateboarding in a circle around him, disregarding the fact they were inside.

"Is his normally this pissy?" Mike asked, not meeting Irma's disapproving eyes.

Irma stamped her foot. "Language!" she barked, earning herself odd looks from her three friends. "L-Ladies are present," she caught herself quickly.

Donatello slyly stuck out a foot and stopped the skateboard abruptly, sending its rider tumbling to the ground. "No, I'm usually not."

Mike rolled over so he was lying on his back on the movie theater floor. He stared at Donatello with a contemplative look before a grin split his face in two. "I like you, Don. Can we be friends? I don't have any friends."

Donatello opened his mouth to deliver a forceful denial, but something in Mike's sparkling blue eyes seemed so… sad? Was that it? Yes, sad and lonely. Something under the cheerful shell needed a friend, and Donatello couldn't bring himself to say no.

"…Fine. We can be friends, if it makes you feel better." Not knowing quite why, he reached out one hand to help the other up, and Mike took it. They locked eyes for a split second, and Donatello found himself smiling as well.


	4. The Initiation

**So I realize NYC is really crowded but in the show the only people living there are a hobo, the pizza guy, teddy bear/mutagen tea girl, and that blonde lady, so this story's NYC is kind of the same way.**

 **As always, reviews are hugged and drooled over.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or any of the characters in this story (I don't believe in OCs because 90% of the time they're not original and have no character).**

* * *

Leonardo awoke only to find himself gagged, bound, and blindfolded. Due to the bouncing and his uncomfortable position, he guessed he was slung over someone's shoulder as they carried him.

 _Oh, man… Sensei is going to kill me._

He heard a resonating bang as a door slammed behind him, and he was dumped ungracefully on the ground. Leonardo squirmed, trying to get free, but to no avail. The only new piece of information he could gather was that he was on a tile floor.

"We found a gang of Purple Dragons stealing something from an old warehouse." Karai's voice echoed. The room must be large and empty. "This is the suitcase they had." There was a thump as she dropped it.

"And then we found this guy trying t' spy on us," Raph added, placing a foot on the back of Leonardo's head and grinding his face into the floor. "He thinks he's a ninja." A harsh laugh rang through the room.

"Unbind him," an undeniably harsh and commanding voice ordered. Leonardo's bonds fell loosely to the floor, and he ripped the gag and blindfold off, immediately struggling to his feet.

The second he looked up, he found himself staring straight into the bloodthirsty eyes of a man – but what a man he was! A silvery metal helmet with a mask covered most of his face, but from what Leonardo could see, terrible burns covered half of his face. Amid the scars, a pale, blind eye stared out. The other eye, as dark as the midnight sky, stared down at Leonardo without pity. _The Shredder._

Leonardo staggered a few feet back, still feeling faint from the powder he had inhaled. He was quickly steadied by Karai and Raph on either side of him, although they were probably just ensuring he didn't run.

Any thought of escape vanished from Leonardo's mind as soon as the Shredder spoke, his deep voice rumbling. "Tell me, boy. Who do you work for?"

"No one," Leonardo replied stubbornly. He couldn't let on that he had any connection to Splinter.

"Then who taught you how to be a ninja?" Karai demanded, earning herself a glare from her boss.

"You call that being a ninja?" Raph scoffed.

"Silence!" the Shredder bellowed at them, and Leonardo felt the force blow his brown hair away from his face. The two cringed, and Leonardo felt an unexpected stab of pity for them.

His sympathy was short-lived. The Shredder looked down at him as if he were an unusually unpleasant specimen of cockroach.

"What is your name?"

"Leo." Leonardo gave the same answer he had earlier. He should have given a completely false name… But it was too late now.

"And who taught you how to be a ninja?" The Shredder's one good eye peered down at Leo carefully, searching for any sign that he was lying.

An unexpected note of obstinacy entered Leo's voice. "No one. I taught myself."

"Well, that explains why you suck," Raph commented.

"Raphael! Enough!" The Shredder snapped, and in the brief respite, Leo managed to get a quick glance around. The room he was in had a long bridge stretching over water, leading to a throne at the end. The dull artificial lights from above glinted off the glass covering the water on either side of the bridge. Behind the throne, a glass window allowed a view out to the rest of the city. It was a skyscraper.

The name brought Leo's attention back to his mission. So Raph's name was indeed Raphael. However, the jacket he was wearing had a single sleeve covering his left arm. Awfully suspicious, but not proof of anything.

His attention was abruptly drawn back to the imposing figure before him. The Shredder was staring to bore of him, and instead of staring Leo down, he was pacing.

"So if you truly are working alone and taught yourself – a dubious claim at best – you'll have no problem facing Raphael in battle. If you please me, you may join me."

"Join you?" Leo repeated cautiously. He had to be certain. The Shredder glanced scornfully over his shoulder.

"I presume you know who we are. The Foot Clan."

Raphael interrupted, flipping his sais out of his belt and spinning them. "Let's just go already!"

Smirking, Karai stepped past Leo to join the Shredder near the throne. "Good luck. You'll need it," she whispered to him.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Leo called after her sarcastically. He was met with only a grin as she tossed his katanas at his feet.

The moment they were safely in Leo's hands, Raphael descended on him with the ferocity of a starved tiger. Driving him back with lightning-quick blows, the redhead mercilessly sought a way around Leo's defenses.

Leo momentarily forgot to breathe, busy protecting himself from the sais seeking his heart. It was all he could do to shield himself; he couldn't get an attack in edgeways. In less than a minute, he found his back pressed against the wall, with Raphael bearing down on him savagely. The redhead's face was twisted into a snarl as he drove his weapons down for a final blow.

It was only instinct that made Leo step to the side and hit the small of his opponent's back with the hilt of his katana. The extra force sent Raphael's forehead against the wall. A resounding crack echoed through the room, and the redhead slumped limply to the floor.

Leo sucked in a huge breath, backing away from his enemy wide-eyed. The only sound was Karai's hysterical laughter.

Raphael only stayed unconscious for a few seconds before he pulled himself into a sitting position, groaning and holding his head. Both of his sais were scattered on the glass floor next to him.

From her seat on the stairs up to the throne, Karai wiped tears from her eyes. "Y-you said he sucked at being a ninja," she called over to her brother, gasping for breath. "And you just got _served._ That's rich. That is rich."

Something between a growl and a roar escaped Raphael's throat, and he flung himself at the unsuspecting Leo with all the force he could muster.

The back of Leo's head connected with the floor, and for the second time in ten minutes, he was knocked cold.

* * *

Irma insisted on walking back home by herself, while Donatello and Mike walked April and Casey to their respective apartments. That left the two new friends alone.

Mike was skateboarding slowly alongside Donatello as they traveled down the streets of New York City.

"Since I'm gonna be dropping by your house now that we're friends, where do ya live?" Mike asked cheerfully, as if it wasn't creepy to ask a new acquaintance where they lived.

"With my dad," Donatello replied evasively before flipping the question back around. "What about you?"

"In an old warehouse! With my mom! Um, I mean, Kraang Subprime… she keeps telling me to stop calling her Mom…" Mike babbled on.

Donatello cast him a sideways glance. "…Right. Well… my house is right around here, so I better get going…"

"Ooh, can I see your house?" Mike parked his skateboard directly in front of Donatello and dropped to his knees on it, nearly rolling into the street in the process. He stared up with pleading blue puppy eyes, and Donatello raised an eyebrow.

"Um… s-sure? I guess? I mean, it's not like I mind you inviting yourself over, and my dad totally likes having random strangers over…"

The sarcasm was completely lost on Mike, who jumped up on his skateboard again and did a fist pump. "Yeah! Now I get to meet your dad! Oh! What if your dad met my mom and they fell in love and got married? We could be siblings! Wouldn't that be great?"

Donatello's eye twitched. "Y-yeah. No."

Mike didn't hear him. "Although my mom is technically a guy… How would that even work?"

"…As much as I like to hear about your… interesting family dynamic, my house is right up here. I guess you can come in for a bit," Donatello relented, deleting everything Mike had just said from his memory. A short walk and a few flights of stairs later, they were walking into the lovely residence that was the Stockman home.

Before Donatello could grab Mike, shake him, and warn him to _not touch anything if he wanted to live,_ the one and only Baxter Stockman stumbled out of the lab, coughing as smoke poured out after him. He froze in his tracks when he saw Mike.

"Y-You!" Baxter jabbed an accusing finger under the blonde's nose, and Mike's eyes crossed as he looked at it. "What are you doing here?!"

Donatello could only stare in confusion as Mike cheerfully stuck his hand forward. "Hi, Dexter Spackman! How've you been?"

Baxter's face turned from brown to red as he slapped Mike's hand away. "It's Baxter Stockman! Now, Michelangelo, get out of my house before I call your mother!"

"Michelangelo?" Donatello echoed. "Like the artist?"

Mike gave him a thumbs-up. "Yup! But people usually call me Mike or Mikey. I had no idea Dexter was your dad!"

"Of course you wouldn't, you met me two hours ago." Donatello started pushing Mikey out the front door, hoping to get him out before Baxter inevitably exploded.

Baxter let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, no, Donatello, he can stay for a short while. I think it's time I tell you something important…"


	5. The Reveal

**So I upped the rating to T because there's more swearing than I originally thought there would be. It could probably still be considered K+ but I'm paranoid.**

 **Regarding a question in the comments, Mikey's arm isn't peeling. Kraang Subprime takes scales off his arm as a punishment.**

 **Disclaimer: I own the story and nothing else.**

* * *

In the empty throne room, Raphael stood with his back against the wall, arms folded, glaring at his enemy's prone form as Karai heaved a bucket of ice water in Leo's face. Karai had mostly recovered herself, but occasionally a giggle would bubble forth from her.

"I still can't believe he knocked you cold. You know that I'm going to be reminding you about this for years, right?" Karai asked him as Leo sat bolt upright, rubbing water from his eyes.

"Wh-what happened?" Leo stammered, shivering. Karai clapped him heartily on the back, trying to knock him over again and succeeding.

"You're in," she announced. "You passed your initiation with flying colors."

"I still won!" Raphael butted in irately. "You hesitated. You should have killed me while I was down, and you didn't. If you're going to be in the Foot Clan, you gotta learn to always go for the heart. It's a ninja-eat-ninja world."

Leo stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "Why on earth would I kill you?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe because I was your enemy!" Raphael exploded, fists clenched.

"Raph, go get some fresh air and cool off," Karai commanded, and he complied, stomping out and slamming the door behind him. Sadistic smile on her red lips, she turned her attention back to Leo, planting her hands on her hips.

"Welcome to the Foot Clan, Leo. The Shredder – that's our boss, but you probably already know that – decided to put you on a team with Raph and me. He doesn't trust his incompetent minions to be able to handle you, so we're stuck babysitting. And if you're getting cocky from your short-lived victory over my brother, let me remind you that he is right – you didn't kill him when you had the chance, and the only reason you're still breathing is because the Shredder stopped him. He did win, and not to mention if you try running, the two of us will be more than a match for you."

"Understood." _Well, this is a mess,_ Leo mused. _I have to get back to Sensei._ "So what exactly do you do in this… Foot Clan?"

"I decide when you get to know that. Until then, you obey me, Raph, and the Shredder – no one else, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Good. Come along. If you're going to be in the Foot Clan, you need to look the part." Karai beckoned to him with one finger as she walked out, and Leo hesitantly followed.

The two of them traversed down dark hallways and past ominous closed doors until they finally arrived at their destination. Karai pulled one of the doors open and shoved Leo inside.

There they found Raphael, standing among racks of black uniforms, all emblazoned with the red Foot Clan symbol.

"I thought I told you to go outside," Karai grumbled. Raphael didn't even spare them a glance.

"Father caught me on my way out and told me to get the new kid a uniform."

 _Father._ All of Leo's hopes shattered. _Their father is in the Foot Clan somewhere. No ways this Raphael is my brother – not that I want him to be anyway, he's a-_

Leo's thoughts were abruptly cut off by the redhead shoving a uniform into his arms.

"See if that fits," Raphael ordered.

"I'll be outside. Don't kill each other without me," Karai called over her shoulder as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

"Erm, are there changing rooms or something?" Leo asked, holding the uniform delicately.

"Nope." Raphael popped the 'p.' "You have to be under constant supervision anyway. Don't sweat it, we're both guys."

Leo prayed the lighting was bad enough that Raphael didn't see his scaled arm. He changed from his jeans into the black ninja pants quickly before slipping his shirt off, cringing as his green arm came into the light. No sooner than he had done that, Raphael grasped his wrist tightly, pulling it straight as he examined the scales.

"I thought you said to not worry, we were both guys…" Leo laughed uncomfortably under the scrutinizing gaze.

Raphael's green eyes were wide with thinly veiled astonishment, and his grip of Leo's wrist tightened uncomfortably, cutting off circulation to his hand. "What the hell is this?" he demanded quietly.

"Let me get a shirt on and I'll explain."

Raphael dropped Leo's wrist as if it were a hot potato, and the brunette pulled on the shirt decorated with the Foot Clan emblem. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd ever wear that symbol of hatred.

But he had more pressing matters. "It's a birth defect," he explained, as if it were no big deal. "Not sure why or how, but it runs in the family."

"Runs in the family, huh?" Raphael repeated slowly.

"Yeah, why? Have you seen it before?" Leo questioned tactically.

Raphael gave a short, humorless laugh before pulling his sleeve up to reveal a matching green, scaled arm.

* * *

Baxter Stockman seated Donnie and Mikey at the kitchen table, while he sat at the head. Donnie was waiting expectantly for an explanation, while Mikey was cradling his skateboard lovingly (Baxter had refused to let him have it on the ground, to avoid getting the floor dirty).

Clearing his throat nervously, Baxter cracked his knuckles. "Well, you see, Donatello, Michelangelo here is the son of my employer."

Donnie had been kept in the dark when it came to Baxter's job. All he knew what that it involved lots and lots of chemicals. He had assumed it might be some shady government job.

"And?" he pressed.

"Don't rush me!" Baxter snapped. "See, Michelangelo has the same condition as you, and his mother employed me to find a cure for it."

"Condition?" Donnie echoed. Mikey took it upon himself to answer, pulling up the left sleeve of his jacket and ripping off his wrist guard. All Donnie could do was stare as he saw a scaled arm just like him.

"Pretty cool, huh? Just like a turtle!" Mikey chirped, grinning.

Realization dawned on Donatello. "…I see… And I was the guinea pig. That's why you got so obsessed with fixing my arm – to make sure whatever you concocted would work and was safe. So if it wasn't, your employer's son wouldn't be harmed and your reputation damaged… just me."

"Precisely!" Baxter gave a small, approving cough. "Now, I believe it's time you learn something else… Michelangelo, can you call your mother and ask her to drop by?"

"No problem! She's already at the front door. Been following me ever since we left the movie theater." A sudden wave of nausea passed over Mikey. "Oh, man… she's going to kill me." He kissed his scaled arm. "Goodbye, scales. Until you grow back again."

The door burst open, and Irma stormed in, as furious as a lion in a cage. Mikey rolled under the table, quivering.

"Michelangelo!" Irma began to rail at him. "You good-for-nothing son of a-"

"Hey! Don't insult yourself, dear madam," Mikey interjected, raising a wise finger. Donnie looked between the two of them blankly.

"…Irma…? You're this guy's mother? But you're… the same… age…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Irma grumbled. "And I'm not his mother. I'm Kraang Subprime, nice to meet you. I'll explain that later; don't want you to pass out. Or maybe your dad will show you some diagrams or something. Michelangelo, with me."

"Why are you so mad?" Mikey pleaded, using his skateboard as a shield as she tried to drag him out from under the table. "I wanted to get my stealth training in, and I did! I disguised myself and nobody looked at me twice! I was just like a common civilian!"

"You spent $20 on popcorn and a movie!" Irma snapped. "Why would you do that? What makes you think we have that kind of money?"

"Whoa, whoa, everybody slow down!" Donnie raised his voice, and silence fell over the room. He pressed his palms together, taking a few deep breaths. "Let me get this straight. Mikey has the same defect as me, Irma is his mom and also something called a Kraang, and my dad was using me as a guinea pig. I just have one more question. How does Mikey have an arm like mine?" He rolled up his sleeve, and Mikey stared.

"Wow! It is the same!" He rolled out from under the table and held his own arm next to Donnie's.

"Genetics, Donatello," Baxter sighed. Irma straightened up, adjusting her glasses.

"Well, Stockman, our deal's broken. He found out, which means he's mine again. Donatello, you're coming home with me."

"Sorry, what? Genetics? Deal? Mine? Can somebody please just explain what's happening here?" Donnie's strained voice rose to a squeak.

Baxter opened his mouth to reply, but Irma cut in. "Look at it this way, Donatello. I found you and Michelangelo on the streets fifteen years ago. I started trying to find you a home, but I knew nobody would want kids with turtle arms. I never intended to keep either of you; I just wanted someone to fix your arms so you could have normal lives. I caught word of Baxter Stockman and employed him. Donatello, you were showing so much promise at a young age that he wanted to adopt you. Two crying babies was too much for me, so I let him. Promptly thereafter, he had no reason to help me since he didn't care that his kid had a weird arm, so we severed all ties until recently, when I got the money to employ him again. Of course, I'm stuck with the idiot here for life now because I couldn't fix his arm and send him off to some real parents, but I figured what the hell, why not. As for the deal, I'll explain that when we get home, because you're coming with me."

Silence reigned in the room for a long second while Donnie tried to process this new information. Mikey was staring at his surrogate mother with wide eyes. Slowly, his face broke into a grin, and he threw himself at Donnie with a hug.

"So you guys don't have to get married after all! We're brothers! Isn't that awesome, Donnie? I always wanted a brother!"

Donnie shoved him away, not entirely fond of hugs. He couldn't think of a single thing to say, but a nagging voice in the back of his mind was warning him Irma was lying.


	6. Come Together

**I need a life.**

 **How is Mikey okay with a semi-abusive mother, I hear you ask? Because he's goddamn Mikey, that's how.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT.**

* * *

Dumbstruck, Leo stared at Raphael's arm, and the redhead scowled, pulling his sleeve down again.

"What? Cat got your tongue?"

"You realize that this is genetic, right?" Leo stammered, wide-eyed.

"No!" Raphael interjected fiercely. "I have one sibling, and that's Karai. I don't have any brothers. Wouldn't Father have told me?"

"Who is your father anyway? Can I meet him?" Leo asked warily. Of course he should have seen this coming! It's not like Raphael would have been kept prisoner since he was a baby, waiting for his family to come save him. He would be raised as someone's child. _Stupid, stupid!_ Leo berated himself.

Raphael leaned heavily against the wall, shaking his head. "You already met him. The Shredder."

The two of them stood in silence for a long moment while Leo tried to process that information. _…The Shredder… our mortal enemy… kidnapped my brother… and raised him as his child… and now Raphael thinks that I'm the Shredder's kid too?_

The silence was broken quickly by the redhead. "What's your excuse this time, genius? Can't believe that your real dad is a crime lord?"

 _I can't tell him about Splinter. If I let him believe I think Shredder's my dad, it should buy me some time so I can figure out what to do._ "Not really, no," Leo replied faintly. "Can we just… keep this quiet? From Shredder and the others? Maybe we can do some investigating and figure this whole thing out."

Raphael considered it for a long moment before nodding. "Sure, why not? That way I can find out if this is some elaborate prank you're pulling. But until then, let's get on our mission. Father will get mad if we don't get a move on."

"Will you tell Karai?" Leo asked as he followed the redhead out.

Raphael shrugged. "I don't know yet." He quickly changed the subject. "You seem to be taking this new revelation pretty easily."

 _I can't tell him that I already knew I had brothers. He might ask questions, and it'll be hard to keep Sensei out of it._ "So are you," Leo shot back. Raphael shrugged.

"Father keeps secrets all the time. Wouldn't be surprised if I did have a long-lost brother and he never told me."

 _Dissatisfaction with the Shredder. That's good. I wonder if you'd be surprised if you found out you had three?_ Leo tried hard to keep a grin off his face.

The two of them met Karai outside of the skyscraper. The sun was just rising, tinting the sky gray and bathing everything in an ever-so-faint glow.

"Ready for your initiation mission, recruit?" Karai asked Leo, almost as if it was a challenge.

"What's the mission?"

"There's a group in town called the Kraang. The Shredder wants something from them. We're going to go get it."

"And what exactly does he want?" Leo pressed. Karai chuckled softly.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about that."

Leo felt his cheeks heat up. "Y-you think I'm… pretty?"

Raphael suffered from a sudden coughing fit, and Leo abruptly realized his mistake. _Crap. He thinks I'm Shredder's son too, which would make Karai my… sister. Ew, gross. I have to be more careful._

"Not really, no. Sorry." Karai clearly wasn't sorry. "Let's go. These Kraang are supposed to be in an old warehouse a few blocks down."

It was only a quick sprint through the shadows before they reached a garage-like warehouse. They ducked behind a brick wall a short distance away from it and peered around it at their target.

"Doesn't seem suspicious to me," Leo commented quietly, earning himself glares from his two companions.

"I wonder why? Maybe because it's, I don't know, a secret hideout!" Raphael hissed irritably.

Karai intervened before they could get any louder. "Shut up, both of you! The only reason we know this is here is because Stockman tipped us off. Remember, this is a stealth mission. We get in there, get what we want, and leave without being seen. Leo, if you screw this up, I'm going to sic Raph on you."

"Let's just go," Raphael grumbled, vanishing into the shadows and appearing moments later at the garage door. Sighing, Leo and Karai quickly joined him.

By the time they arrived, the redhead had already picked the lock with the tip of his sai and was pulling the garage door open just enough so they could roll under it. Once they were all outside, Raphael lowered it down to the floor again without making a sound.

Inside the warehouse, a single flickering lightbulb illuminated every cobweb and rusty car. Layers of dust that had probably been there since the ice age carpeted the floor, but faint footprints could be seen in it.

Leo cast Karai a questioning look, and she pointed down at the floor. _Underground,_ she mouthed at him, tip-toeing over to a classic big red button and pressing it.

With an alarmingly loud beep, an elevator rose underneath the yellow Volkswagen bug behind the button, lifting the car six feet into the air. The elevator itself seemed to be made completely out of silver, and purple lights shone from it, evidently its power source.

Leo merely followed Raphael and Karai's lead as they stepped into the elevator without a second thought.

The second all three of them were safely inside it, it dropped rapidly, sending Leo's heart into his throat. Luckily, the free fall only lasted a few seconds before it came to a surprisingly gentle stop.

The hallways of the Kraang base were very similar to the elevator. Everything was silver with purple energy lines breaking the monotony. Leo wrinkled his nose at the smell of disinfectant that permeated everything. A few machine-like clatters sounded down some of the halls, but the most obvious and out of place noise was the sound of quiet sobbing a few levels below them.

Leo almost inquired about the crying, but from the look on his companions' faces, they didn't know either.

"Let's check it out," Raphael whispered, green eyes bright with excitement as he shuffled forward, sais in hands. Karai followed his lead, and Leo followed hers.

 _Do they not care that there's basically an alien base underneath a garage in New York?_ Leo could only shake his head in amazement. _Is this sort of thing common to them? Then again, I am a ninja who lives in the sewers…_

The trip down one level was surprisingly uneventful. Not a single living thing could be seen anywhere, and although the trio kept their eyes peeled for cameras, they saw no sign that they were being watched. One short elevator ride later, they found themselves in a much more homely-looking hallway. The walls were still silver and purple, but the doors were made out of wood. The sobbing echoed from behind one of these doorways.

He might have been a ninja, but Raphael clearly hadn't passed his stealth training. He strode right up to the door and kicked it open. The crying stopped abruptly, and Karai and Leo quickly joined Raphael.

Other than the silvery walls, it was a stereotypical messy teenage boy's room, with empty pizza boxes and dirty clothes scattered all over the floor. On top of the unmade bed sat two boys, one with long black hair tied back in a braid and another with a wavy mop of blonde hair. The blonde's eyes were still shining with tears as he held one hand over his bandaged arm, while the other had a protective hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

Leo and Raphael let out a groan in unison as they saw two green, scaled arms.


	7. Fearless Leader

**I broship Raph and Karai so much...**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

"Who the heck are you and what are you doing here?" the raven-headed boy demanded, glaring at the intruders. The blonde was too stunned to say anything (a first in years).

Both Leo and Raph looked to Karai for help, as she seemed to have been told the most about the mission. She said nothing for a long moment, taken aback by the sight of their arms that were just like her brother's, but she quickly recovered herself. To their surprise, she didn't pull out her blade and demand for them to come with her. Instead, she lowered her voice to an urgent whisper.

"We're here to get you out of here. Come on, quickly."

The blonde regained his voice. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" he shouted, rolling off the bed and pointing an accusing finger at them.

"No time for that!" Karai snapped. "We're here to get you out before the bomb explodes."

"Bomb?" the raven-haired boy squeaked, and Leo nearly did the same.

"No time for questions! Just go!" Karai pushed started pushing both of them out the door. The blonde managed to grab a skateboard before he was shoved into the hallway. Fright clearly showed in his baby blue eyes.

"If there's a bomb, we need to warn Mom and the others!"

"Are you stupid?" his friend hissed fiercely. "You realize she abuses you, right? She just ripped scales off your arm and you want to save her?"

Leo and Raphael exchanged glances, neither of them quite sure what to think. Karai, on the other hand, had no patience for them.

"Your 'mom' is the one who planted the bomb! You can bet your bottom dollar that she and all the others are safe and sound, waiting you two to go boom. Now let's get out!"

That stunned the blonde into silence, and the five of them retraced their path out of the warehouse. In the short elevator ride up to the garage area, Leo met Raphael's eyes and mouthed one word.

 _Bluff?_

Raphael nodded ever so slightly, and Leo relaxed.

Karai drove them out the garage and a safe way away from the building (conveniently towards the skyscraper that was the Foot Clan's base). Before either boy could catch their breath and start asking questions, she and Raphael produced two damp cloths and slapped them across their victim's mouths. The two fell unconscious without a struggle and without a sound.

* * *

Mikey woke up feeling nothing except a dull ache in his arm and a stinging pain in his head. Nevertheless, he sat up, groaning. It took him all of two seconds to take in his surroundings – a huge room with a throne at the end. He was seated on a glass floor, and underneath the glass he could see water gently swirling.

The second thing he became aware of was Donnie, still unconscious by his side, and two boys, a brunette and a redhead, arguing by the doorway.

"So now there's these two. Still genetic? How many brothers am I supposed to have?" the redhead was demanding angrily, arms folded across his chest while the brunette attempted to calm him.

"I don't know. I'm guessing this is all though."

"Hey!" Mikey jumped to his feet, nearly falling over again as a wave of dizziness passed over him. Trying to appear intimidating, he glared and put his hands on his hips. "Where are we, why did you drug us, and what happened with the whole bomb thing?"

The redhead rolled his eyes. "There was no bomb, moron. I can't believe you actually fell for that. We were just trying to get you to the base without having to carry your unconscious butts the entire way."

His companion elbowed him in the stomach before approaching Mikey with a kinder demeanor.

"My name's Leo, and this is Raphael. What's your name?"

Untrustingly, Mikey kept up his guard for a second longer before letting it drop. "I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mikey." He suddenly remembered about his newfound brother. "And that's Donnie."

As his name was spoken, the black-haired boy came to, sitting up and holding a hand to his head. "Ow… my head…"

Mikey pulled him to his feet, steadying him as he nearly fell over. "It's okay, bro. They're cool. This is Leo, and that's Raph."

"Raphael," the redhead butted in, not pleased at having his prisoner become so familiar with him so quickly.

"And I care why?" Donnie grumbled before he fully came to. "The bomb-"

"You fell for it too? Wow." Raph shook his head disbelievingly. "I can't believe this."

"Donnie, Mikey." Leo grabbed their attention before any further exchanges took place. "I know this is rather sudden, but we have something to show you. It doesn't have anything to do with why we kidnapped you, but you deserve to know. But if at all possible, it would be nice if you kept it quiet. Understood?"

Donnie nudged Mikey gently with his shoulder. "You hear that?"

"I hear," Mikey muttered, folding his arms with a scowl on his freckled face. _These guys barely know me and they're already judging me!_

"We're showing them? Already?" Raph looked less than pleased with the situation. "When did you start giving the orders?"

Leo stared him down defiantly. "Ever since I became the oldest of my brothers," he replied, pulling up his left sleeve. Sighing, Raph did the same.

Donnie's jaw dropped and Mikey's eyes bulged as they saw the same deformations they possessed.

Mikey threw his hands up in resignation. "It was weird enough finding out I was related to Donnie, but now I have two more brothers?"

"Welcome to my world," Raph mumbled, pulling his sleeve back down.

The three of them waited for a reaction from Donnie, but none came. Instead, he just shrugged. "If it's fine by you I'll be studying those arms of yours to make sure this isn't a trick, but like Mikey said, why wouldn't I have more long-lost brothers?"

The room fell silent for a long moment before Mikey grabbed Leo and Raph and hugged them tightly. "This is the best day ever!" he cheered, not even upset when they roughly shoved him off. "I've wanted siblings my whole life and now I have three!"

"Glad someone's enjoying it," Donnie said crossly. "Not only do I find out that my own father was using me as a test subject, I have to put up with annoying siblings."

Raph probably had Chronic Eye-Rolling Syndrome. "Wow, what a downer. Father's not going to be pleased when he finds out we know about each other."

That caught both Mikey and Donnie's attention.

"You know our real dad?" Mikey asked in awe. "I always knew Mom wasn't my actual mom, since she's a space alien and all, but…"

"Raph, about the Shredder…" Leo started hesitantly, but Karai chose that moment to stroll in. All eyes immediately fixed on her.

"I hate to break up the family reunion, but if you guys don't want to get caught and locked up by the Shredder, you should leave now," she drawled.

For the first time, Raph's voice shook. "Karai? What are you saying?"

Karai shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "I always suspected we weren't related. I don't have the same arm as you; besides, we look nothing alike. You lot don't look very similar either, but at least you're the same race. I'm Japanese, you're Caucasian. The Shredder's my father, not yours. I don't know how he got you, but I'm guessing when he finds out you know you have brothers, he won't be happy. Get out of here while you still can."

"You'll get in trouble for letting us go. Come with us," Raph urged, something akin to fear shining in his eyes. Karai shook her head.

"Father won't hurt me. I'll stay here and find out what I can. When you find out what you can from Mr. Wise Guy here-" she nodded at Leo "-catch me while I'm out on patrol and tell me everything."

"But this is my home. You're my family. I don't even know these guys!" Raph protested. Karai let out a deep sigh and took his hands.

"It's alright. I know you'll come back." She cracked a smile. "After all, someone has to defend my honor. Now get out of here."

Releasing his hands, she took a step back before vanishing out the door.

Leo carefully put a hand on Raph's shoulder, not sure how the other would react. "Raph? You okay?"

"I'm fine." The redhead brushed him off. "I know the fastest way out. Let's go."

"What do we do when we get out?" Donnie asked nervously.

Raph turned and met Leo's eyes. "Good question. Where to, Fearless Leader?"

Leo knew he couldn't trust them – Raphael least of all. However, he had to bring them to Master Splinter. _Sensei will know what to do._ "The sewers."


	8. Together At Last

**This chapter was super hard to write, so it's not my finest work. Next chapter, Splinter explains their backstory.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT.**

* * *

True to his word, Raphael had them out of the Foot Clan base quickly and without being seen. Leo led them through the streets until he found a manhole. Crouching by it, he eagerly opened it.

"Come on, guys. Let's go," Leo urged, looking at his three brothers. Mikey wore a disgusted expression, Donnie a horrified one, and Raph a complete deadpan.

"Please be kidding me," Donnie begged, and even Mikey balked.

"Dude, that's gross, even by my standards."

Cheeks red, Leo turned around. "Just follow me," he ordered, shinnying down the ladder. Reluctantly, the other three followed him.

As soon as he was underground, Leo knew exactly where to go. Raph might know the surface of New York City like the back of his hand, but Leo had every one of its underground tunnels memorized.

"Man, it reeks. Are there monsters down here?" Mikey asked in a hushed voice, clinging to Donnie's arm like a parasite.

"It is the sewers, Mikey. As for monsters, there's just me, don't worry." Raphael grinned. "Say, Fearless Leader. You said you were the oldest of us, but how do you know? We all look the same age."

Leo shrugged. Splinter had never told him the details of his birth, except that Leo was the oldest. He had assumed that the other three were significantly younger, but they all appeared to be fifteen, although Mikey could pass for fourteen. "Sens- Father will explain everything."

"Real father, huh?" Raph mused.

Leo wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. For finding out his entire life was a lie, he was remarkably calm. As for Donnie and Mikey, Leo wasn't quite sure what to think of them. He had yet to interact with either of them.

"Raph?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?" The redhead raised an eyebrow, wrinkling his nose at the stench of the sewers.

"The Shredder… the man who said he was your father… Did you love him?"

Raphael didn't respond, and the rest of the trip was completed in silence.

After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at an abandoned subway station. _Home._ Leo relaxed slightly. _I'll take them to the dojo and keep them there. Can't risk Raph running away once he finds out his father is his clan's greatest enemy._

Before Mikey could go berserk looking at all the things in the lair, Leo was hurrying the three of them along. "Father's in the dojo."

They didn't have time to protest until he had pushed them into the training room and slammed the door.

"Sensei?" Leo called, but the sound of the door had already brought Splinter forth from his room.

"Leonardo, my son!" Splinter rushed over to his side, leaning heavily on his walking stick, and Leo hugged him tightly for a long moment. "I was worried when you did not return."

Embarrassed, Leo rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I was kind of occupied… Sensei, meet Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo."

Donnie and Mikey wilted under Splinter's fierce stare, while Raph wore a perplexed expression. After a long moment, Splinter let out a quiet laugh. "You have been quite productive, Leonardo. I am proud you managed to find your brothers within two days of searching."

"So you're our dad?" Mikey asked, eyes wide. "Our real dad? Like, not an alien?"

"Or crazy scientist?" Donnie added bitterly.

"No, my sons." A bit of fatherly tenderness arose in Splinter's amber eyes. "You may call me Splinter."

No sooner than the words had left his mouth, Raphael took a flying leap at him, sais at the ready. "I know you!" he shouted, fire in his green eyes. "You're Hamato Yoshi! It's your fault! This is all your fault!"

Splinter dodged instinctively before promptly retreating a safe distance away. "Leonardo?"

Leo immediately stepped in between his teacher and his brother. "Sensei, about Raph… He was raised as the Shredder's son."

"Step aside, Leo!" Raphael leveled one sai at his brother. "I've been trained for my entire life to kill this man. Don't get in the way now."

"I will be fine, my son," Splinter interceded as well. "Perhaps a thorough whipping will open him up to reason."

Reluctantly, Leo stepped back, but Donnie cleared his throat.

"Raph? Can you not-"

Raphael didn't hear him, instead launching himself at Splinter. It occurred so fast the three spectators could barely follow what happened. The next thing they knew, Raph was flat on the floor. Seconds later, he was up again, snarling, teeth bared.

Every attack he made was dodged or deflected, and he found himself on the floor time and time again. When he started to pant from exhaustion, Splinter moved to hit a pressure point and knock him cold, but Donnie beat him to it. Slipping up behind Raph, Donnie jabbed a needle in the side of his neck. Raphael hit the ground like a stone, completely unconscious.

Leo raised both eyebrows, and even Splinter looked impressed.

"I asked him to stop fighting," Donnie muttered defensively. "And I always wanted to try out that new mix of knock-out chemicals…"

"Very impressive, my son." Splinter nodded approvingly, and the boy stiffened.

"Erm… I'm sorry, sir, but…" Donnie refused to make eye contact, the memory of the man he thought was his father still fresh in his mind.

Understanding suddenly dawned on Splinter, and he nodded. "Ah, of course, Donatello. My apologies."

"Sensei?" Leo urged. "Can we… tie Raph up or something?"

"I will not have him bound." Splinter shook his head. "Take him to the spare room and lock him there. In the meantime, I will speak to Donatello and Michelangelo. I am sure they have some questions for me."

"Dude, you have no idea," Mikey said as Leo threw Raph over his shoulder and took him out. No shyness tainted his voice as he posed his first one. "Can I hug you?"

"Of course, Michelangelo." Splinter smiled warmly, and Michelangelo threw himself into his arms. The blonde's perpetual smile dropped for a moment.

"I've always wanted a father…"


	9. Splinter's Son

**CRAPPIEST CHAPTER EVER UGH**

 **Yeah, I'm still alive, but I've been super busy, uninspired, and exhausted at the same time. This chapter is really short but I'm posting it anyway just to get it over with. I hate flashbacks.**

 **I don't know what Kraang lasers do when they hit somebody because the Kraang graduated from Storm Trooper University, so I made it up.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Leo arrived back from locking Raphael up to see that Splinter had taken a seat by the old tree in the middle of the dojo. Donnie and Mikey were sitting around him, like small children would sit around someone telling a story. Although he had heard it a thousand times before, Leo sat with them.

Splinter spread his hands wide and began his tale.

"Fifteen years ago…"

 _A man who had recently lost everything was hurrying down a street, head bowed, when the wind carried a faint noise to his ears. It sounded like… crying. Children crying in the dead of night. Concerned, the man rushed up and down streets until he found a dark alley._

 _Four children huddled there – a brunette boy of perhaps three, a two-year-old redhead, and two babies, one with raven hair, one with blond. It was these two who were crying. The older two stared up at the man untrustingly, each of them holding a baby close. All four of them were wearing black sweaters and jeans._

 _"_ _Hello, boys," the man greeted them softly. The child on the brunette's lap quieted at the sound of his voice, but the blond baby merely wailed louder. Silently, the redhead carrying him hugged him tightly, resting his cheek against the mop of light hair._

 _"_ _Are you lost?" the man pressed gently when no response came. "Where are your parents?"_

 _"_ _What're parents?" the redhead asked in a babyishly stubborn voice, and the man flinched. He reached out one hand, mentally pleading with them to not run away._

 _"_ _Come with me. I'll take care of you," he promised. He stared into the brunette's blue eyes and the redhead's green ones for a long moment before the older of the two took his hand._

 _Rain started to fall during their journey home, plopping loudly on the streets and soaking the little group. The man knew he should take the four to the police, but something in him yearned for a child to care for, if only for a little while._

 _Once the five of them were inside, the man fed them, dried them, and lulled the two babies to sleep. The little redhead was yawning, eyes drooping from bread and warm milk, but the brunette remained alert and wary._

 _"_ _What are your names?" the man asked them quietly._

 _"_ _Leonardo, and that's Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo." The brunette pointed at them in turn. "They're my brothers."_

 _"_ _And what were you doing out on the streets? Why don't you have any parents?"_

 _Leonardo wrinkled his nose and repeated the same question his brother had posed earlier. "What are parents?"_

 _The man clenched his jaw. "I'll call the police… They'll know what to do."_

 _Just as he was reaching for the phone, a crash rang through the small apartment as the door flew across the room to smash against the wall. Both babies awoke with a wail, and Leonardo and Raphael grabbed on each, holding them close. The man whirled around to face the attacker, only to be met with a tall man with dark hair a suit. His eyes held the luster of a corpse's as he fired a single bullet._

 _The man collapsed as the purple laser connected with his chest. Paralyzed, all he could do was watch as the stranger ripped the two babies from the older boys' arms. Raphael let out a cry as the little blond baby was taken from him, but the attacker quickly grabbed him as well and slung him over his shoulder. With two infants in one arm and a toddler in the other, the stranger had no way of carrying the last one._

 _Eyes wide and mute with terror, Leonardo stumbled backwards. The attacker's dead eyes met his frightened blue ones._

 _"_ _Kraang will return for the one called Leonardo," the stranger announced, and he was out the door moments later. All that was left behind was the echoes of the children's screams and the sobbing of their brother._

 _When the man's paralysis passed, he took the final boy away. He knew he should call the police, but he did not. Instead, he took Leonardo deep into the sewers, and built a new home in an abandoned subway station. The child explained that he had lived with the strange men who were all the same. They had called him and his brothers 'experiments,' and nobody would tell them where they came from. Leonardo had rolled up the sleeve of his black jacket and revealed a green scaled arm._

 _"_ _We all have it. We didn't always, but we do now. Mikey just got his in recently. We don't know why."_

 _As the years passed, his memory of the brothers he fought so hard to protect faded, but the man always reminded him._

 _"_ _Your brothers are out there, Leonardo. We will prepare here until you are ready, and you will save them."_


	10. Take Me To Your Leader

**Writer's block is gone! I also have no idea where I'm going with this story but I'll figure something out...**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

As he finished his story, Splinter looked into the eyes of his two newfound sons. Donatello still looked suspicious and untrusting, but Michelangelo believed him with all his heart.

Something unexpected also caught Splinter's eye – leaning against the wall, staring hard at the floor and frowning, stood Raphael, the last piece of the puzzle. Leo, Donnie, and Mikey all followed Splinter's gaze and started.

Raphael suddenly became aware that they noticed his presence. Without a word, he turned and fled. Leo dashed after him in pursuit, but his quarry was faster.

Knowing there was no use, Leo stopped at the dojo door. Raphael was already nearing the exit of the subway station when Mikey sprinted past Leo, a kusarigama chain in hand. One expertly placed throw later, the chain was wrapped around Raphael's arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Growling, the redhead grabbed the chain and yanked on it, hard. Yelping, Mikey slipped, and Raphael took the opportunity to free himself and disappear into the darkness.

Splinter, assisted along by Donnie, arrived just in time to see him vanish.

"I'm so sorry, Sensei," Leo apologized, eyes flashing with anger at himself as he helped Mikey up. "He's a ninja, of course he could get out of a locked door… I should have thought of that and taken precautions. I'll find him again, I promise, I just-"

"Enough, Leonardo," Splinter sighed. "It is my fault. I would not let you bind him, and you did your best. We will find him again, as you said." He turned surprised eyes to Mikey, who was rubbing a bruising nose. "Michelangelo, I was not aware you were trained as a ninja."

Mikey giggled sheepishly. "Yeah… Mom taught me martial arts and all, but she said I sucked at being a ninja, so I never really considered myself to be one."

"I am interested about the extent of your abilities. Perhaps, if you so desire, I will continue your training."

Mikey's face lit up. "So I could keep practicing if I stayed with you? I don't really have anywhere else to go anyway…"

"Sensei," Leo interrupted urgently. "Raphael was raised as the Shredder's son. He's probably going back now to tell Shredder where our lair is, and he'll come down here and kill us all. We should catch Raph, or find someplace else to hide, or _something._ We can't just sit here."

Splinter considered it carefully for a long moment before shaking his head. "Raphael may have been raised by the Shredder, but he also heard my story. I believe he will investigate before taking action. Perhaps he has his own doubts about his father."

"But what if he doesn't?" Leo insisted.

"We wait here," Splinter said firmly. "Now, Donatello, Michelangelo, I would like to hear your stories. What were these past years like for you?"

All eyes turned to Donnie, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well… Life was pretty normal for me until yesterday… No ninja training or anything like that… I was raised by a man named Baxter Stockman. I didn't leave the house much… We just stayed inside and did our experiments day after day, year after year. Yesterday, I met Mikey, and that's when I met the Kraang."

"The Kraang?" Leo echoed. "Like the guys that had us in the first place? The ones that said they'd come back for us?"

Donnie nodded. "Yeah… Mikey came back to my house, and apparently my dad and his mom knew each other… I don't know how true it is, but Mikey's mom said that she found both of us on the street when we were babies. She said she got my dad to find a way to get rid of the scales on our arms so we could 'live normal lives.' My dad apparently liked me so much that he asked if he could adopt me, and she let him. Um… Mikey? Maybe you should explain…"

"Right!" Mikey nodded. "About my mom, she's one of the Kraang. I've actually been living with the Kraang for my entire life. Mom is the second-in-command of all the Kraang. She runs everything and spies on humans and taught me ninjutsu! She always told me the same story she told Donnie, but she never told me I had siblings or anything. But don't worry, I believe you over her, Sensei. Is that what I should call you? That's what Leo calls you…"

"That is fine, Michelangelo." Splinter's brow was furrowed with confusion. "You said that the Kraang 'spied on humans?' If they are not humans, what are they?"

"Aliens, duh. What else?" Mikey asked, as if it was completely obvious. "They're really squishy pink brain things in metal suits."

Donnie hadn't been paying attention to most of Mikey's spiel, but he suddenly spoke up now. "Sir – Sensei – you said that when Leo was young, he said that the Kraang made our arms scaly, that Mikey just had his put in. But my father's last experiment was trying to find a way to turn our arms back to normal, per the request of the Kraang themselves. Why would they want to undo what they had done?"

Nobody had an answer.

"There are many questions that need answering, Donatello." Splinter finally broke the silence. "But it is nearly morning. We should sleep while we can. Perhaps on the morrow, we can visit this Baxter Stockman and try to find some answers."

* * *

Raphael didn't slow his pace even when he was certain he was not being followed. His racing thoughts didn't slow even when he left the stench of the sewers into the night air. However, he banished visions of rainy nights and crying children from his mind to focus on more important things.

 _It's probably almost two in the morning… Karai will still be asleep, but I can sneak into the base and wake her up. I'll talk to her and figure out what to do._

It was a simple matter to slip into the Foot Clan's base without being seen. He and Karai had played hide and seek there as children and knew every nook and cranny. A few halls and flights of stairs later, he was sneaking into her room.

Karai awoke the moment he stepped foot into her room. "Raph?" she whispered, sitting up. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," he replied quietly. "I'll meet you on the rooftop."

Minutes later, after Karai had dressed and escaped from the skyscraper, she found Raphael pacing on the roof of a nearby apartment complex.

"Tell me what happened," she ordered, plopping down on an AC unit. Raphael took a deep breath.

"I found Hamato Yoshi." He paused, waiting for her to say something, but no reply came. Instead, Karai sat there, waiting expectantly for him to go on. "And he said… He said he was our father."

"And?"

"He went on about some crap about he supposedly found us, but the Kraang took three of us away," the redhead summarized.

"Do you believe him?" Karai tried to read his answer, but she couldn't make it out. He merely shrugged.

"Not really. Too many gaps, too many questions… I'm going to tell Father where they're living."

Alarm passed briefly over Karai's face. "But those three had the same arm as you. Chances are you are related. What if Hamato Yoshi really is your father? The Shredder almost certainly isn't."

"It doesn't matter." Raphael shook his head angrily, fists clenched. "He's our enemy, and even if he is my father, he left me behind. You're my sister, and those other freaks aren't my brothers. Oroku Saki is my father, not the man who never tried to save his sons who were taken away. They noticed me when I got away and they'll probably try to find a new hideout, so I'm going to tell Father now."

Minutes later, the siblings were kneeling before their father on his throne, staring at the ground to avoid his bloodshot gaze.

"Well?" Shredder demanded, waiting for an explanation for his son's absence.

Raphael swallowed hard. "Father, I found Hamato Yoshi."

The Shredder leaned forward in his throne, armored hands gripping the armrests of his throne in tense anticipation. In a hoarse, rasping voice, he gave his orders. "Take me to him."


	11. Coney Island Theme Park

**Ugh I'm so sorry guys, I've been as busy as fudge. Will update more often now though. I hurried to write and update this chapter, so it's not edited, sorry.**

 **Author Note: I do not own TMNT.**

* * *

Leo, for his part, wasn't about to sit around and wait for the Shredder to arrive on their doorstep. No one felt like sleeping despite Splinter's orders – Mikey was used to running on little to no sleep and Donnie was an insomniac – so instead, Splinter decided to wear them out.

Donnie became Splinter's newest ninjutsu student, but Leo couldn't see any future in it for the scientist. He was too timid and too much of a pacifist, but Splinter insisted on teaching him so he could defend himself. Leo was set against Mikey, in order to find out exactly how much training the blond had received.

And so Leo was introduced to Michelangelo's nonconventional ninja tactics, which included but were not limited to water balloons, backflips, and (to Leo's horror) _licking._ When it came to being a normal ninja, Leo was better, but the second he caught Mikey in a headlock, the blond proceeded to lick Leo's hand. Needless to say, Mikey won that match.

When Leo complained to his teacher, Splinter merely shook his head and smiled.

Fed up, Leo turned pleading eyes towards his sensei. "I've trained enough. Let me go do a quick patrol around the sewers. If Raph does bring Shredder here, I can spot him before he arrives. We'll have time to escape."

Splinter considered it for a long moment before nodding once. "Yes… Yes, you may go. Take Michelangelo with you. I do not have the energy to deal with him this late."

Leo nodded anxiously. "Come on, Mikey."

"Cowabunga!" Mikey cheered, spinning his nunchaku before sliding them into his belt.

What Leo imagined was a leisurely patrol through the sewers, possibly teaching Mikey all of the twists and turns and shortcuts. What he actually got was chasing his younger brother through the tunnels as the blond shouted.

"Do you think the Shredder would come down this way? Oh, what about this? Or this way? Hey, Leo! There's a rat! Can we keep it as a pet?"

"You don't get out much, do you?" Leo grumbled, trying to keep up. "This is New York City. If you want a pet sewer rat, get it on your own time."

"Fine, fine…" Mikey looked down for a second before he perked up again. "Hey… What's that noise?"

"What noise?" Leo listened hard.

"It sounds like an echo of footsteps, coming from down that tunnel." Mikey pointed, and Leo heard it.

Footsteps, accompanied with the heavy clanking of armor. There were two pairs of softer footsteps with it, and Leo didn't wait around to see who it might be.

By the time the Shredder, Karai, and Raphael stepped into the main subway tunnel, Leo and Mikey had vanished.

"I could have sworn I heard voices…" Karai muttered.

Raphael shrugged. "Maybe you did. They might be expecting us. Let's go, the lair's right down this tunnel."

Leo and Mikey burst into the lair and rudely interrupted Splinter, who was teaching Donnie the ways of meditation.

"I was right. They're coming, Sensei!" Leo babbled. "The Shredder and two others. We have to go."

"Are you sure, Leonardo?" Splinter pressed. "It could have been a construction worker."

"Wearing full armor?" Mikey butted in, taking Leo's side. "I heard it too!"

Splinter stood up. "In that case, it will be safer if we leave now. Leonardo, take your brothers topside to the old theme park."

"And what will you do, Sensei?" Donnie asked, pale-faced.

"I will distract them and take a different route. Hide in the theme park until I come for you."

Leo wasted no time in protesting. "But you're injured!"

"And a master ninja," Splinter chuckled, unconcerned. "I will be fine. Leonardo, Michelangelo, your first priority is to take care of Donatello. He cannot defend himself."

"And a ninja must always defend those who cannot defend themselves," Leo finished hurriedly. "I know, I know. Let's go!"

Mikey and Donnie filed out, but Leo paused before joining them. He glanced over at his teacher. "Please stay safe, Sensei."

"I promise, my son. Now go." Splinter watched the three of them go impassively before sitting down cross-legged on the floor. _I will meditate to overcome my injury, and then I shall face the Shredder. He is going to hurt my sons, and I must not allow that to happen._

Leo made his brothers stay completely silent as they ran down the abandoned subway tunnel in the opposite direction the Shredder was coming. He didn't let them talk until they finally reached a ladder and climbed up to the surface.

"So where are we going exactly?" Mikey asked, taking in a huge breath of fresh air. "I spent most of my life locked up like Rapunzel, I don't know much about the lay of the land. …Hey, if I grew out my hair, I could totally-"

"The only abandoned theme park near here is the Coney Island theme park," Donatello interrupted before Mikey could continue. "If we hurry, we should be there by morning."

"A theme park?" Mikey's blue eyes grew huge. "Oh man! I can't wait!"

"Will you both shut up?" Leo hissed angrily. "Be completely silent and follow me."

Taken aback, they obeyed, creeping through the shadows of the empty streets.

Leo didn't let them speak even when they reached the theme park, just as dawn broke. Red morning light shone through the rickety wooden roller coaster, casting strange, dim shadows.

"There's nobody here, Leo," Donnie didn't bother to whisper as he pointed out the obvious. "Are we allowed to speak yet?"

Leo shot him a miffed look. "Fine. Now we wait for Master Splinter."

"What if he doesn't show?" Donnie asked innocently. Mikey looked horrified.

"Donnie! Of course he'll show! He's a master ninja!"

"So is Shredder," he pointed out.

Leo folded his arms across his chest, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Donnie, as much as I appreciate your optimism, Sensei will come. He always comes."

Not willing to carry on the argument, Donnie shrugged. "Whatever you say, Leo."

Mikey climbed onto a nearby carousal and plopped down on the nearest horse. "So, guys, who do you think the other people in the tunnel were?"

"One of them has to be Raph," Leo reasoned. "He's the only one who would know where the lair is. The other would probably be Karai or another one of Shredder's high-ranking minions."

"Then are you sure he'll be fine?" Donnie pressed. "If I heard correctly, Raph whipped your butt, and then add Shredder and some other competent ninja? Sure sounds like Master Splinter doesn't have a chance."

"Hey!" Leo snapped. "You don't know anything about Sensei! You've never seen him fight. How would you know?"

Donnie held his hands up in surrender. "I don't. I'm just saying he's outnumbered."

"Well, it sure doesn't sound like it," Leo grumbled.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded directly next to Mikey. "I hate to interrupt the brotherly bonding time, but I believe you have something we want."

Mikey yelped and fell off his horse. He crawled towards his brothers on all fours as they stared at where the voice came from. There was no one there.

"Oops! I'm over here," it called again, and Leo whirled around as someone tapped him on the shoulder. Still they saw nothing.

"Invisibility tech?" Donnie looked impressed. "Fascinating…"

"Isn't it?" the voice chuckled. "Now, give us what we want."

"Who are we? How many invisible dudes are there?" Mikey asked, looking around in panic.

"Idiot, looking for them isn't going to help!" Donnie snapped at him.

Leo ignored both of them. "What do you want?"

"Right, that…" the voice hummed. "What did we want again, Mr. Steranko?"

The three boys' attention turned to a dart-throwing booth, where a large, hulking figure crouched in the shadows. The figure laughed in a deep, accented voice.

"We want freaks' lives!"


End file.
